The field of the invention relates to electromagnetic fuel injectors, fuel rails and processes for fabricating same.
For motor vehicle applications in particular, it is known to mechanically couple a plurality of electromagnetic fuel injectors between a fuel rail and an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. In response to an electronic drive signal, the actuated fuel injector passes fuel from the fuel rail into the intake manifold for a predetermined time. A typical fuel injector, which is illustrated herein in Prior Art FIG. 1, is shown connected to fuel rail 102 by fuel connector 6. Fuel injector 10, which is one of a plurality of fuel injectors connected to fuel rail 4, includes housing 12 constructed of an electromagnetic permeable material and having a lower housing 14 crimped to an upper housing 16. Lower housing 14 is fabricated by a conventional cold heading and machining process which forms fuel passageway 18 and cavity 20 for receiving coil bobbin assembly 22 therein. Electrical contacts 24 are positioned through plastic cap 26 and connected to coil bobbin assembly 22 through housing 12. Placement of "O" ring 28 and "O" ring 30 on respective lower housing 14 and upper housing 16 within cavity 20 is required to seal coil bobbin assembly 22 and electrical contacts 24 from fuel passageway 18.
Continuing with Prior Art FIG. 1, armature 34 is slidably, axially mounted within fuel passageway 18 and biased against spring 32. Armature 34 is connected to stem 36 which is axially positioned within sleeve 42 and includes conical end 38. Lower housing 14 is crimped to sleeve 42. Sleeve 42 has a conical seat 46 formed around valve opening 50 for mating with conical end 38 of stem 36 thereby forming a needle and seat valve. Fuel passageway 18 communicates with sleeve 42 and extends through upper housing 16 to fuel connector 6 which mates with fuel rail 4.
During operation of the above described prior art device, electrical actuation of coil bobbin assembly 22 induces a magnetic field through a magnetic core defined by lower housing 14 and upper housing 16. This induced magnetic field couples to armature 34 deflecting it against spring 32 thereby opening the needle and seat valve.
The inventor herein has recognized numerous disadvantages of the prior art device described above. Numerous processing and assembly steps are required to fabricate a fuel rail and couple each individual fuel injector to the fuel rail through a corresponding fuel connector. Further, for each fuel injector, several "O" rings and corresponding assembly steps are required to seal coil bobbin assembly 22 and electrical contacts 24 from fuel passageway 18. In addition, complicated processing steps are required such as cold heading and machining lower housing 12 to form fuel passageway 18 and cavity 20. Cumbersome crimping steps are also required to assemble lower housing 12 to upper housing 14 and sleeve 42. The magnetically permeable housing is also susceptible to corrosion in typical under hood environments.